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| Spokane County, Washington | |||
 Spokane County Courthouse
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 Location in the state of Washington (state) | |||
 Washington's location in the U.S. | |||
| Founded | January 29, 1858 (created) January 19, 1864 (annexed to Stevens Co.) October 30, 1879 (separated from Stevens Co.) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Named for | Spokane people | ||
| Seat |  Spokane
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| Largest city | Spokane | ||
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
1,781 sq mi (4,613 km²) 1,764 sq mi (4,569 km²) 17 sq mi (44 km²), 0.9% | ||
| Population - Density |
275/sq mi (106/km²) | ||
| Congressional district | 5th | ||
| Time zone | Pacific: UTC-8/-7 | ||
| Website | www.spokanecounty.org | ||
Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2010 census the population was 471,221, making it the fourth-most populous county in the state of Washington.[1] The largest city and county seat is Spokane,[2] the second largest city in the state after Seattle. The county is named after the Spokane tribe.
Spokane County is part of the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also part of the greater Spokane-Coeur d'Alene Combined Statistical Area that includes nearby Kootenai County, Idaho.
History[]
The first humans to arrive in what is now Spokane County arrived between 12,000 and 8,000 years ago and were hunter-gatherer societies who lived off the plentiful game in the area. Initially, the settlers hunted predominantly bison and antelope, but after the game migrated out of the region, the native people became dependent on gathering various roots, berries, and nuts, and harvesting fish.[3] The Spokane tribe, after which the county is named means "Children of the Sun" or "sun people" in Salishan[4] The explorer-geographer David Thompson, working as head of the North West Company's Columbia Department, became the first European to explore what is now the Inland Northwest.[5] After establishing the Kullyspell House and Saleesh House fur trading posts in what are now Idaho and Montana, Thompson then attempted to expand further west. He sent out two trappers, Jacques Raphael Finlay and Finan McDonald, to construct a fur trading post on the Spokane River in Washington and trade with the local Indians.[6] This post was established in 1810, at the confluence of the Little Spokane and Spokane rivers, becoming the first enduring European settlement of significance in Washington state.[5] Known as the Spokane House, or simply "Spokane", it was in operation from 1810 to 1826.[4]
Spokane County was established by the Washington legislature effective January 29, 1858. It was annexed by Stevens County on January 19, 1864, and re-created on October 30, 1879.[7][8] The first post office in the county was located at Spokane Bridge.[9] The current Spokane county seat holder, Spokane, wrested the seat from Cheney in 1886.[10][11]
Geography[]
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,781 square miles (4,610 km2), of which 1,764 square miles (4,570 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (0.9%) is water.[12] The lowest point in the county is the Spokane River behind Long Lake Dam (boundary of Stevens County) at 1538 feet (468 m) above sea level. (There is virtually no change in elevation between the dam and the mouth of the Little Spokane River inside Riverside State Park.) The highest point in the county is the summit of Mount Spokane at 5,887 ft (1,794 m).Template:Navd88[13]
Spokane County has a complex geologic history and varied topography. To the west is the barren landscape of the Columbia Basin and to the east is the foothills of the Rockies—the Coeur d'Alene Mountains, which rise to the east in northern Idaho. Spokane County lies in a transition area between the eastern edge of the basaltic Channeled Scablands steppe plains to the west and the rugged, timbered Rocky Mountains foothills to the east.[14] The area exhibits signs of the prehistoric geologic events that shaped the area and region such as the Missoula Floods which ended 12,000 to 15,000 years ago.[15] The geography to the southeast, such as the Saltese Flats and Saltese Uplands is characterized as a shrub–steppe landscape with grassy hills and ravines.[16]
As with the topography, ecologically the county is also in a transition area, is roughly split between the Columbia Plateau ecoregion in the southwest portion, where it is at the eastern edge of the basaltic Channeled Scablands steppe plain and the Northern Rockies ecoregion in the northwest portion, which is the rugged and forested Selkirk Mountains.[17][18]
Rivers[]
- Spokane River
- Little Spokane River
- Latah Creek
- Cable Creek
- Saltese Creek
Lakes and reservoirs[]
- Medical Lake
- West Medical Lake
- Liberty Lake
- Newman Lake
- Shelley Lake
Notable summits and peaks[]
- Mount Spokane
- Mount Kit Carson
- Mica Peak
- Krell Hill
Notable parks[]
- Dishman Hills Natural Conservation Area
- Riverside State Park
- Riverfront Park
- Manito Park
National protected area[]
- Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge
Major highways[]
Interstate 90- U.S. Route 2
- U.S. Route 195
- U.S. Route 395
- State Route 27
- State Route 206
- State Route 290
- State Route 291
- State Route 902
- State Route 904
Adjacent counties[]
- Stevens County – northwest
- Pend Oreille County – north
- Bonner County, Idaho – northeast
- Kootenai County, Idaho – east
- Benewah County, Idaho – southeast
- Whitman County – south
- Lincoln County – west
Demographics[]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 996 | ||
| 1870 | 2,000 | 100.8% | |
| 1880 | 4,262 | 113.1% | |
| 1890 | 37,487 | 779.6% | |
| 1900 | 57,542 | 53.5% | |
| 1910 | 139,404 | 142.3% | |
| 1920 | 141,289 | 1.4% | |
| 1930 | 150,477 | 6.5% | |
| 1940 | 164,652 | 9.4% | |
| 1950 | 221,561 | 34.6% | |
| 1960 | 278,333 | 25.6% | |
| 1970 | 287,487 | 3.3% | |
| 1980 | 341,835 | 18.9% | |
| 1990 | 361,364 | 5.7% | |
| 2000 | 417,939 | 15.7% | |
| 2010 | 471,221 | 12.7% | |
| Est. 2020 | 528,225 | [19] | 26.4% |
| US Decennial Census[20] 1790–1960[21] 1900–1990[22] 1990–2000[23] 2010–2020 | |||
2000 census[]
As of the 2000 United States Census,[24] there were 417,939 people, 163,611 households, and 106,019 families in the county. The population density was 237 inhabitants per square mile (92 /km2). There were 175,005 housing units at an average density of 99 per square mile (38 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 88.62% White, 2.00% Black or African American, 1.40% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.16% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. 2.77% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.0% were of German, 10.7% Irish, 9.9% English, 7.6% United States or American and 6.4% Norwegian ancestry.
There were 163,611 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.90% were married couples living together, 11.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.20% were non-families. 28.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.70% under the age of 18, 10.60% from 18 to 24, 28.90% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $37,308, and the median income for a family was $46,463. Males had a median income of $35,097 versus $25,526 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,233. About 8.30% of families and 12.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.10% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census[]
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 471,221 people, 187,167 households, and 118,212 families residing in the county.[25] The population density was 267.2 inhabitants per square mile (103.2 /km2). There were 201,434 housing units at an average density of 114.2 per square mile (44.1 /km2).[26] The racial makeup of the county was 89.2% white, 2.1% Asian, 1.7% black or African American, 1.5% American Indian, 0.4% Pacific islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.5% of the population.[25] In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were German, 15.4% were Irish, 13.5% were English, 6.9% were Norwegian, and 4.4% were American.[27]
Of the 187,167 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age was 36.8 years.[25]
The median income for a household in the county was $47,250 and the median income for a family was $59,999. Males had a median income of $44,000 versus $33,878 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,127. About 9.1% of families and 14.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.[28]
Law and government[]
Spokane County is governed by a partisan Board of County Commissioners, one from each of three districts. They run in a partisan primary election within their own district, then compete countywide in the general election. Other elected officials include the Sheriff, Auditor (who is also responsible for elections), Assessor, Treasurer, and Prosecutor, which are also partisan offices. Spokane County has an appointed Medical Examiner. The current[29] commissioners for Spokane County are Josh Kerns, Mary Kuney, and Al French, from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd county districts respectively.
Transportation planning within the county is handled by the Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC), a metropolitan planning organization that was created in 1962. The SRTC distributes federal and state funds for transportation projects and is tasked with updating the long-range transportation plan for Spokane County.[30]
Spokane County has historically been rather conservative for an urban county. It has voted Republican all but three times since 1948. Lyndon Johnson is the last Democrat to win a majority of the county's vote. It did, however, give a plurality of votes to Bill Clinton in both of his presidential runs. Democratic strength is concentrated in Spokane itself, while the suburban areas are heavily Republican.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 2020 | 148,576 | 50.29% | 135,765 | 45.96% | 11,089 | 3.75% |
| 2016 | 113,435 | 48.06% | 93,767 | 39.72% | 28,848 | 12.22% |
| 2012 | 115,285 | 51.07% | 102,295 | 45.31% | 8,174 | 3.62% |
| 2008 | 108,314 | 49.01% | 105,786 | 47.87% | 6,907 | 3.13% |
| 2004 | 111,606 | 55.09% | 87,490 | 43.19% | 3,491 | 1.72% |
| 2000 | 89,299 | 51.88% | 74,604 | 43.35% | 8,209 | 4.77% |
| 1996 | 66,628 | 41.84% | 71,727 | 45.05% | 20,877 | 13.11% |
| 1992 | 59,984 | 35.47% | 69,526 | 41.11% | 39,622 | 23.43% |
| 1988 | 68,787 | 49.43% | 68,520 | 49.24% | 1,843 | 1.32% |
| 1984 | 88,043 | 58.96% | 59,620 | 39.92% | 1,673 | 1.12% |
| 1980 | 78,096 | 55.51% | 49,263 | 35.02% | 13,326 | 9.47% |
| 1976 | 68,290 | 53.37% | 55,660 | 43.50% | 4,004 | 3.13% |
| 1972 | 74,320 | 59.37% | 44,337 | 35.42% | 6,528 | 5.21% |
| 1968 | 52,650 | 47.61% | 49,423 | 44.69% | 8,521 | 7.70% |
| 1964 | 49,387 | 44.26% | 62,092 | 55.65% | 102 | 0.09% |
| 1960 | 59,557 | 51.62% | 55,553 | 48.15% | 259 | 0.22% |
| 1956 | 60,335 | 55.21% | 48,833 | 44.68% | 119 | 0.11% |
| 1952 | 56,958 | 55.17% | 45,827 | 44.39% | 451 | 0.44% |
| 1948 | 37,086 | 41.68% | 49,649 | 55.79% | 2,253 | 2.53% |
| 1944 | 36,359 | 44.18% | 45,491 | 55.27% | 456 | 0.55% |
| 1940 | 33,228 | 42.17% | 44,852 | 56.92% | 713 | 0.90% |
| 1936 | 19,951 | 28.45% | 48,117 | 68.62% | 2,057 | 2.93% |
| 1932 | 24,848 | 38.15% | 36,953 | 56.74% | 3,324 | 5.10% |
| 1928 | 35,858 | 65.48% | 18,527 | 33.83% | 373 | 0.68% |
| 1924 | 23,403 | 49.30% | 6,036 | 12.71% | 18,034 | 37.99% |
| 1920 | 26,219 | 60.55% | 13,412 | 30.97% | 3,670 | 8.48% |
| 1916 | 19,503 | 45.23% | 21,339 | 49.49% | 2,278 | 5.28% |
| 1912 | 4,205 | 11.92% | 10,845 | 30.75% | 20,218 | 57.33% |
| 1908 | 11,719 | 58.68% | 6,557 | 32.83% | 1,694 | 8.48% |
| 1904 | 10,258 | 71.71% | 2,602 | 18.19% | 1,445 | 10.10% |
| 1900 | 5,515 | 49.84% | 5,125 | 46.32% | 425 | 3.84% |
| 1896 | 2,701 | 31.22% | 5,829 | 67.37% | 122 | 1.41% |
| 1892 | 3,367 | 45.45% | 2,247 | 30.33% | 1,794 | 24.22% |
Communities[]
Cities[]
- Airway Heights
- Cheney
- Deer Park
- Liberty Lake
- Medical Lake
- Millwood
- Spangle
- Spokane (county seat)
- Spokane Valley
Towns[]
- Fairfield
- Latah
- Rockford
- Waverly
Census-designated places[]
- Country Homes
- Fairchild Air Force Base
- Fairwood
- Four Lakes
- Mead
- Otis Orchards-East Farms
- Town and Country
Unincorporated communities[]
- Amber
- Buckeye
- Chattaroy
- Colbert
- Deep Creek
- Denison
- Duncan
- Dynamite
- Elk
- Espanola
- Freeman
- Garden Springs
- Geiger Heights
- Glenrose
- Greenacres
- Green Bluff
- Hazard
- Highland
- Manito
- Marshall
- Mica
- Milan
- Moab
- Mount Hope
- Newman Lake
- Nine Mile Falls
- Orchard Prairie
- Peone
- Plaza
- Riverside
- Seven Mile
- Silver Lake
- Spokane Bridge
- Spring Valley
- Stringtown
- Tyler
- Valleyford
Ghost towns/neighborhoods[]
- Babb
- Coey
- Darknell
- Dragoon
- Freedom
- Geib
- Hite
- Lyons
- Mock
- North Pine
- Rahm
- Rodna
- Saxby
- Scribner
- Wallner
See also[]
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Spokane County, Washington
References[]
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/53/53063.html.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx.
- ^ Ruby et al. (2006) pp. 5–6
- ^ a b Phillips (1971), pp. 134–135
- ^ a b Stratton (2005), p. 19
- ^ Oldham, Kit (January 23, 2003). "The North West Company establishes Spokane House in 1810". Essay 5099. HistoryLink. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5099. Retrieved December 13, 2008.
- ^ "Milestones for Washington State History – Part 2: 1851 to 1900". HistoryLink.org. March 6, 2003. http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5380.
- ^ "Spokane County, Washington: Historical Dates and Maps". http://www.spokanecounty.org/asp/vis_history.asp#dates.
- ^ "Spokane Valley — Thumbnail History". HistoryLink. http://historylink.org/File/10119.
- ^ "Spokane Falls Weekly Review". October 8, 1885. p. 2. http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/newspapers_view.aspx?i=0P1dPNuLQuYa4SJw%2fGRXL1%2bY48N8rD7qg61%2bHrOJ%2bTybfu7tXCxQMxIkdNmS03NnaqE%2baxz89f2hpYbWjvVO8uDa0OzD7LlK%2bbOI7LWSZOA%3d&p=dHtVHMHvom8YDpiedV1%2fug%3d%3d. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ^ Kershner, Jim (August 11, 2007). "Armed Cheney citizens forcibly remove the county seat from Spokane Falls to Cheney on March 21, 1881". Essay 8249. HistoryLink. http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=8249. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_53.txt.
- ^ "Y". NGS data sheet. U.S. National Geodetic Survey. http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/ds_mark.prl?PidBox=SV1719.
- ^ "Station Information Data Sheet – Spokane, Washington". National Weather Service. April 2008. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/otx/spokane.php.
- ^ Breckenridge, Roy M. (May 1993). Glacial Lake Missoula and the Spokane Floods (Report). GeoNotes. 26. Idaho Geological Survey. http://www.idahogeology.org/PDF/GeoNotes_(G)/geonote_26.pdf. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
- ^ https://www.spokanecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/4658/Geology-of-the-Saltese-Uplands-ConservationArea-2015-PDF#:~:text=The%20Saltese%20Uplands%20Conservation%20Area%20(SUCA)%20has%20a%20long%2D,lived%20and%20complex%20geologic%20history.&text=The%20bedrock%20geology%20at%20SUCA,interlayered%20zones%20of%20biotitic%20schist.
- ^ https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/env_topics/ecosystems/veg_mgmt_rpt/vegmgmt_ecoregional_approach.aspx#ecor
- ^ "Ecoregion Download Files by State - Region 10". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/eco-research/ecoregion-download-files-state-region-10.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.2020.html.
- ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wa190090.txt.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov.
- ^ a b c "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US53063.
- ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US53063.
- ^ "Selected Social Characteristics in the United States - 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US53063.
- ^ "Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". US Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US53063.
- ^ As of October 2018
- ^ Deshais, Nicholas (June 12, 2019). "Spokane Tribe will get a voice in transportation planning, a move that sparked controversy among Spokane officials". Spokesman-Review. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/jun/12/spokane-tribe-will-get-a-voice-in-transportation-p/.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS.
External links[]
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Stevens County | Pend Oreille County | Bonner County, Idaho |
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| Lincoln County | 
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Kootenai County, Idaho | ||
   Spokane County, Washington | ||||
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| Whitman County | Benewah County, Idaho |
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